project # 15

TITLE: SHANUBHAI HOUSE
LOCATION: AHMEDABAD
ARCHITECT: AYAZ PATHAN

This week’s post features a residence done by Ahmedabad based architect Ayaz Pathan: Shanubhai House. The site for Shanubhai house comprises of a 205 sq yard plot with one of the long sides as shared wall. The house forms part of a larger scheme developed by a private developer at the outskirts of Ahmedabad. The developer had already built the ground floor of the house at the time of architect’s intervention, as per the total scheme. The layout done by the developer had problems in terms of space utilization, light and ventilation, treatment of staircase, and construction quality. Thus the entire exercise, in this case, was to modify the existing structure, do necessary changes, and make an inhabitable house out of it. Reworking of staircase, services, and addition of a completely new first floor were the challenges posed by the new program of the house.


existing plan..............................modified ground floor plan...................

first floor plan...........................terrace plan...........................................


north elevation.....................................east elevation.............................


north-east view..............................................entrance..........................

..........................................................................................................

verandah...........................................family room.................................

................................................balcony...............................................

The ground floor of the house consists of a drawing, dining, kitchen, a bedroom, and services. In a typical commercial development and tight plot, such as the one at Shanubhai house, utilization of the margin areas and their relationships with the interior spaces becomes an issue of primary concern in the design. An attempt has been made in this direction at Shanubhai house by opening the dining area into a semi-open area, which forms part of the margin areas and also serves as secondary entrance for the house. First floor of the house forms a more private domain, where bedrooms, balconies, services, and a family room form a tight assembly of rooms in plan. The material palette of the house comprises of plastered and painted walls, re-used wood for doors-windows, and white marble for flooring.

project # 14

TITLE: DESAI HOUSE
LOCATION: AHMEDABAD
ARCHITECT: PRAGNESH PATEL

After graduating from School of Architecture, CEPT, Ahmedabad, and having worked with private architects, architect Pragnesh Patel started his own practice at Ahmedabad in the year 2004. Desai house is an architectural project that was completed by him in the year 2006. The site for Desai House forms a part of Rabari colony that is located in the dense eastern suburbs of Ahmedabad. This part of the city primarily consists of industrial units, housing colonies, and chawls filled with migrant labour population. The site had two long sides as shared walls and an existing milk shop, owned by the client, as given parameters. The program also posed challenge in terms of multiple occupancy of the space; whereby the first floor would have a possibility of renting it out to the migrant labours.

site plan.................................ground floor plan......................first floor plan.........



sections....................................................................................................................


existing milk-shop............entrance..............courtyard...........................................


courtyard.....................................................layering of spaces.............................

first floor verandah.....................baithak space........................................................

The house can be accessed directly from the main road with an entrance located next to the milk shop, as well as from the back side. Activities of the main house take place on the ground floor with a baithak room, a bedroom, basic services, a kitchen, and an entrance courtyard. The courtyard naturally becomes anchoring space for the house on ground floor. Kitchen and the utility area together look into a small court at the rear entrance and the services area has its own double-volume light court. All of these courts and light wells allow ample natural light and breeze in the tight arrangement of the plan. The first floor can be accessed directly with the help of a straight staircase without disturbing the ground floor. The first floor comprises of two bedroom units with attached toilets, both of which can either work as separate units or as a single house with a shared terrace. The house has RCC frame structure, and material palette that comprises of plastered and painted walls, kotah stone flooring, and wood for doors-windows.